1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus system, for example of a group of medical apparatuses which together form a medical workstation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A medical apparatus system of the above type includes, for example, a patient supporting table, an X-ray apparatus, a diagnostic ultrasound apparatus and a lithotripter having a shock wave source, which form a workstation for the treatment of patients suffering from calculi, for example kidney stones. As a rule, the apparatuses of the medical apparatus system, which are individually known, can be operated completely independently of one another and are separately designed, that is to say each of the apparatuses has, for example, a dedicated housing or a dedicated apparatus trolley with dedicated data and power supply cables, dedicated control and further items of equipment for operating the apparatus. Under certain circumstances, the individual apparatuses can be mechanically coupled to one another, at least in part, in the course of forming a workstation, as described for a lithotripter and a C-arm X-ray apparatus in European application 606 548.
The separately designed apparatuses forming a workstation must, for some treatments, be able to exchange data with one another. For example, when the focus of the shock wave source of the lithotripter is aligned with a kidney stone to be disintegrated in the patient's body between the lithotripter, the diagnostic ultrasound apparatus, the patient supporting table and the X-ray apparatus, these apparatuses must be electrically connected to one another via corresponding connecting cables. As a rule, two connecting cables are in each case necessary between two apparatuses for the data exchange between the two apparatuses. The apparatuses are supplied with power independently of one another by corresponding power supply cables which connect the individual apparatuses to respective power sources.
The manual "Your Guide to Setting Up Your LaserJet III Printer" from the company Hewlett Packard dated February, 1990 with the printing record 33449-90933 describes the connection of a printer to a personal computer PC. The PC and the printer in this case form an apparatus system, the data exchange between the PC and the printer being carried out via a serial or parallel interface. The apparatuses are supplied with power independently of one another via separate power supply cables.
It proves to be disadvantageous that the electrical connections of the individual apparatuses to one another for the purpose of data exchange and the electrical connections of the individual apparatuses to power sources for the purpose of power supply require a multiplicity of connecting cables, which complicate the connection of the apparatuses to form an apparatus system and expose personnel working on the apparatus system to the constant risk of tripping over them.